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Da
Hugh Leonard's classic play, reissued for a new season at Dublin's Abbey Theatre
Dublin, the 1960s. After Da's funeral, Charlie returns to his childhood home only to find his father's ghost stubbornly unwilling to leave the house or his son's mind. As the events of Charlie's youth and Da's troubled relationship with Mother are replayed, we discover the darkly comic, bittersweet relationship that existed between father and son."A beguiling play about a son's need to come to terms with his father and himself...in a class with the best of Sean O'Casey" New York Times
Da won the Tony award for Best Play in 1978
Published to tie in with the revival of the play at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in July 2002
Dublin, the 1960s. After Da's funeral, Charlie returns to his childhood home only to find his father's ghost stubbornly unwilling to leave the house or his son's mind. As the events of Charlie's youth and Da's troubled relationship with Mother are replayed, we discover the darkly comic, bittersweet relationship that existed between father and son."A beguiling play about a son's need to come to terms with his father and himself...in a class with the best of Sean O'Casey" New York Times
Da won the Tony award for Best Play in 1978
Published to tie in with the revival of the play at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in July 2002
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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About the author
Hugh Leonard
76 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.
Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 17, 2017
This is a fine play which we saw in Dublin quite a few years ago. I bought it at the time to clarify some dialogue I had missed.
Charlie has come home to Ireland for his father's funeral and to shut down the house. When he is sitting in the kitchen, he sees his father, his younger self, childhood friends, his mother, and his old boss and carries on conversations with them. Quite a bit is revealed about their feelings and motivations. Very well done.
Charlie has come home to Ireland for his father's funeral and to shut down the house. When he is sitting in the kitchen, he sees his father, his younger self, childhood friends, his mother, and his old boss and carries on conversations with them. Quite a bit is revealed about their feelings and motivations. Very well done.
June 9, 2012
A playwright works out his own daddy issues by writing himself into his play. The end result is more like being a fly on the wall at a psychiatric session rather than an evening at the theatre.
Perhaps it's more compelling when staged, but I found myself bored through almost the entire thing.
Perhaps it's more compelling when staged, but I found myself bored through almost the entire thing.
November 22, 2017
Pretty funny. It's not actually as much about Ireland or the Irish as it is about a man coming to terms with his dad, long after he's left home, and more than that, after his dad is dead.
November 10, 2023
when I was reading this I was mildly uncomfortable by the dialogue of the father and the insane things he would say... but obviously a good play makes u uncomfortable. really wish I could see this live... in sum, hugh leonard has some daddy issues and coveys it pretty well.
February 21, 2018
Irish memory play - meh!!
October 7, 2024
The 1988 film with Barnard Hughes and Martin Sheen was wonderful.
March 18, 2011
Tony Award 1978.
Charlie goes home for his father's funeral and is visited (haunted) by his mother, father and younger versions of himself (and their younger-selves as well). The play mostly focuses on the strained father/son relationship, but hints of adoption and trouble with mother are also present.
The front of the play reads "A Comedy in Two Acts"....certainly very, very difficult to unearth the comedy.
Charlie goes home for his father's funeral and is visited (haunted) by his mother, father and younger versions of himself (and their younger-selves as well). The play mostly focuses on the strained father/son relationship, but hints of adoption and trouble with mother are also present.
The front of the play reads "A Comedy in Two Acts"....certainly very, very difficult to unearth the comedy.
February 25, 2008
Very nice even though it ends rather abruptly. I wanted more inner conflict!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews